1880.] 197 



they seem /or the most part undertaken by Bpecies of wide geographical 

 distribution. In the Colias Edusa year of 1877, I spent some time in 

 the Eifel region, and only saw one G. Edusa in a district which, from 

 its nature, ought to have had this species in abundance. Of course 

 when at Teignmouth I turned my particular attention to the two 

 migrants : Vanessa cardui was abundant in the larva state, but I only 

 saw one perfect insect, a splendid specimen, which settled on a head 

 of ragwort blossom close by me, when I was seeking for larvae ; these 

 last were in every stage, full grown and free, or quite young in webs 

 on the thistle leaves. I sent many to my friend Mr. Geo. Baker, of 

 Edgbaston, for him to describe and rear ; he sent me the following 

 description of the full grown larva : 



About I2 inches long, velvety-black, inclined to a slightly greyer tint along the 

 centre of the back, with a marked primrose-coloured stripe just above the legs ; 

 spiny, sub-spiracular spines decidedly smaller than the others, and encircled by a 

 tuft of exceedingly fine hairs ; the 3rd and 4th segments have each four spines, the 

 5th to the 12th inclusive have each seven, and the 13th only two spines, these last 

 almost horizontal in direction ; each spine arises from a pinkish coloured bulb. The 

 belly and ventral legs are golden-umber. 



This description, it will be seen, has an almost exact agreement 

 with that of the winter form of larva described by Mr. Buckler in the 

 Ent. Mo. Mag. (vol. v, p. 279) in 1869. At the present date (Nov. 

 14th) all the larvae sent (having been kept by my young friend in a 

 well-warmed greenhouse) have changed to pupae ; with the exception 

 of one not yet full-grown, only one perfect Vanessa cardui has ap- 

 peared, this was on November 9th, its dui'atiou in the pupa state was 

 sixteen days. 



Of Flusia gamma I saw but little, a few of the perfect insect now 

 and again crossed my path, certainly a smaller number than are 

 usually met with in Devon at this time of the year ; I found one 

 cocoon and one full-fed larva, both on plants by the sea shore. These 

 have become perfect insects. Other Lcpidoptera were scarce, and this 

 rarity extended even to the larvae of the Micros ; Lithocolletis trifas- 

 ciella was not to be found, and L. Schreherella was very rare. Much 

 perseverance on my part was, however, rewarded by the capture of 

 SeliotJiis peltigera asleep on the 24th of October, and by taking Dasy- 

 campa rubiginea at ivy blossoms on October 30th, my last night in 

 South Devon. 



105, Harborne Eoad, Edgbaston, Birmingham : 

 JS'ovemher lUh, 1879. 



